


The ones that we lose

by madammina



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Also dead wife and unborn child here, Because they have stuff they need to work through, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2020-05-19 22:46:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19365340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madammina/pseuds/madammina
Summary: Aeleus, previously Lexaeus of Organization XIII, has ten years of mourning to catch up on.  Xion interrupts him for an important question.





	The ones that we lose

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PoH](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoH/gifts).



> Please read "Xion, the Soap Opera Lover" and "Naomi" to understand what is going on.

"Hey, Naomi." Aeleus sat down in front of a gravestone, a bouquet of flowers in his hand. It was engraved with names and dates and a song lyric. Next to it was a much smaller grave, the stone just saying "Baby" and death date. Aeleus wasn't in any position to name the child that day, but they deserved a burial. 

"I messed up." He finally said after a moment. "I think you were more important than I realized. After you, well..." he trailed off and began twisting a wedding ring he wore on his finger. It rubbed the skin raw where it touched, his fingers unused to wearing it again. "Ansem the Wise hired me. And... and we did horrible things." He took a deep breath. "I hurt people Naomi. Maybe killed them. I don't know, it's not just a blur, things are unclear. I mean..." He ran a hand through his hair. "Things would have been different if you were here. I wouldn't have joined. Vexen, er, Even, you remember Even, right? How I complained about him? Yeah, he's my co-worker. Or he was. He's also now a Nort? See we all lost our hearts..."   
***  
Xion, walking quietly, headed into the graveyard. She had never been here before, but Ienzo had pointed it out when she had arrived at Radiant Gardens and asked for Lexaeus. She wasn't sure what it is, but she needed to do this alone. She passed by stones that had words and letters engraved on them. Many of them had flowers growing or placed nearby. As she traveled through the graveyard, she heard a deep voice. But it was talking so freely...  
***  
"I haven't searched for Steven or Iggy, or Tina," Aeleus said quietly. "If they died, or turned into heartless, it would be my fault. I know that Tina was not in Radiant Gardens at the time, but still." He looked down at the ground. "If they are gone... Some of it is Xehanort. I know some of it is Xehanort. But I did agree to it. Ienzo was six. I don't think he knew really what was going on. He had to know something, but not everything. And Roxas and -" 

Something fell behind him. He turned and saw a girl with dark hair pushing herself up from the ground. 

"Xion?" He asked as he came over, making sure to put the flowers down. "What are you doing here?"

"I... I was looking for you." She said as she got up. "Who are you talking to?"

"Naomi," Aeleus said as he helped her up. "I haven't visited her in years." 

"Didn't you tell me she's dead?" Xion blinked. "Is she a ghost?" 

Aeleus bit his lip for a second. 

"No, it's... Look." He stepped aside and gestured towards the grave. "That's where she rests. And our child." He paused. "I... I joined the apprentices soon after they died. I was practically a nobody anyway." He looked at Xion, who was looking at the grave. "I used to visit them, but then I became a Nobody. And I didn't care."

"Was it... was it bad?" Xion asked. "I don't know what it's like to lose emotions, only gain." 

"I... hold on, let me introduce you." Aeleus took her elbow and gently led her to the graveside, taking care not to step in front of the gravestone. "Naomi, this is Xion. I know she looks like she could be our kid, but she's actually... you know, I'll tell you more about that later. "

The grave did not respond. But Xion could see Aeleus' face relax a bit. And somehow... she did too. 

"It was hard." Aeleus finally said. "I knew it was painful, but I couldn't register it. So, you just trudge through."

"Did you all lose someone?" Xion asked, "I'm just created so I... I wouldn't know."

"I don't know," Aeleus said after a moment. "But, Xion." He knelt down and placed his hands on her shoulders. She had to look at his face and saw concern in his eyes. His hands tightened on her shoulders. "You are a person, you aren't just created."

Xion looked at Aeleus, tears starting to brim in her eyes.

"BUT MY CREATION KILLED SORA AND NOW HE'S GONE AND IT'S ALL MY FAULT BECAUSE I'M A NORT AND A PUPPET AND ROXAS AND AXEL ARE SO HAPPY BUT KAIRI-" 

"Oooh. Oh." Aeleus wrapped his arms around Xion. She buried her face in his shoulder as tears and snot began to stain his shirt. Aeleus kept on patting her on the back and saying "There there" until she began to hiccup. "Okay, okay, let's sit down and start over." 

Xion sat down hard next to Naomi's grave. Aeleus sat down more gently. "Sora's gone. I'm a nort. It's my fault."

"Two of those things are sort of true," Aeleus said. "Back me up on this, Naomi. Sora has disappeared. You were a nort." He looked her in the eye. "But those are not connected by you. Xehanort is more responsible. And you, despite being a Nort, are not Xehanort." He paused here. "Naomi died due to undiagnosed disease. It gave her seizures. She was pregnant and got into a car accident. Neither of us knew she had it. I happened to be studying the disease. Xion, was I responsible?"

"No!" Xion said. "You didn't know... oh."

"It took ten years of no emotions for that to sink in." Aeleus said. "Now, I can't save Naomi. But I can either try to help stop the Heartless still around, find the rest of my friends and family, or go back to studying genetic diseases. All are good. And you, Xion, what are you doing?" 

****  
Far, far, away. A phone rang at someone's bedside. A young woman reached out and grabbed it.

"Hello?" She said groggily.

"Hi, Nancy. This is Xion. We met when the stalker attacked the tv studio? I had the giant key?"

"OOH! Oh, Xion!" Nancy Drew sat up. "Sorry about that. You caught me at a bad time. Why are you calling?"

"... I need your help. Someone important to me disappeared and you may be the best person to find him."


End file.
